Digital Realty Trust plans to invest €2 billion in Italy over the next five years, constructing data centers in Rome and Milan. The Austin-based company targets the Mediterranean as a strategic corridor for data traffic flowing between Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Italy could become one of Digital Realty’s largest European markets.
The company shares this in an interview with Bloomberg. “The Mediterranean is very strategic because data traffic flows from Asia, the Middle East and Africa into Europe through this region,” said Alessandro Talotta, Digital Realty’s executive managing director in Italy. The company expects to hire hundreds of staff locally as both facilities take shape.
The Rome and Milan sites will form part of a broader Mediterranean network that also includes Barcelona, Marseille, and Athens. In total, the Mediterranean accounts for 56% of Digital Realty’s planned capital expenditure in EMEA through 2030, according to regional managing director Fabrice Coquio. Italy, Talotta said, could become one of Digital Realty’s largest European markets over time.
Rome and Milan buildout
Digital Realty entered the Italian market in 2023 in Rome. The Rome site, targeting 62 megawatts of capacity, is expected to open early next year. In Milan, the company is adding an 84-megawatt campus, land for which was acquired in Abbiategrasso, southwest of the city. The first phase of the Milan development is targeted for 2028.
Beyond these two cities, Digital Realty is also exploring participation in a planned EU-backed AI “gigafactory” in Italy. Such a project could require around 200 MW of capacity, Talotta said. Discussions with the Italian government are ongoing.
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